Blood of the Rose (12 page)

“There is always a choice, Christopher.”

“By all that is holy, they attacked us
both
. I had to fight or lose my head!”

George stopped pacing. “I’ve known you for years, and considered you my friend. But I can’t allow you to interfere with Anne’s plans.”

“I understand.”

“Then you will cease aiding the Vampire slayer?”

Christopher spread his hands wide. “I am simply trying to protect my own hide. Surely you can appreciate I am in a difficult position.”

George scowled at Christopher. “How am I to know whether to treat you as a friend or as an enemy?”

Christopher bowed. “That is for you to decide. It would be easier if you and Anne set your sights lower and left the king alone.”

George laughed and slapped Christopher on the back. “Anne is a very determined woman.”

“What does she want, George? Really?”

“Power, my friend, power beyond your imagination. What else?”

“And you truly believe the Vampire Council will allow that? What if they are using you for their own ends?”

“They will not succeed, not if Anne and I are determined.”

Christopher studied his old friend and wondered if he had ever known him at all. “I wish I had your confidence, George. In my experience, the Vampire Council will use anything and anybody to achieve their goals.”

George turned back toward the palace and started walking again. “It is kind of you to try to warn me, but it makes no difference. I cannot turn back now, and neither can Anne. The king is within her grasp and nothing can stop us.”

Conviction rang through George’s words, and Christopher knew it was pointless to continue arguing. He could only hope George would consider his advice later and perhaps share some of Christopher’s concerns with Anne.

“I cannot agree with you, George.”

“Then we will be enemies?”

Christopher faced his friend. “I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I can assure you, if your Vampire hordes try to kill me, or my betrothed, I will fight back.”

George bowed. “I can respect you for that, even if I don’t like it. But think on this, my friend: If the Vampire slayer dies, you would be a free man again. In fact, with your connivance, we could kill her for you.”

Christopher almost smiled. He could no more stand back and allow Rosalind to be killed than he could stop breathing.

“I have no love for the Vampire Council and their machinations, George, so I will simply repeat what I said. Be careful.”

George’s smile made Christopher want to shiver. “Don’t be so melodramatic. The Vampire Council is not invincible. You proved that when you had to help them dispose of that rogue Vampire last year.”

“You know about that?” Christopher asked. “Then you should understand my reluctance to trust the Council at all.”

George’s smile died. “Don’t worry about the Council. Worry about yourself, because we will not let you stand in our way.”

George’s bluntness made Christopher bristle, but he managed to bow and walk away. It seemed that they were indeed heading for a battle. The Boleyns were not afraid of him, or the Council, and Rosalind was definitely at risk. Christopher stared up at the red brick walls of the palace. Trying to keep everyone safe was proving harder than he anticipated.

But George seemed rather arrogant. Was that because he believed in the Vampire Council’s invincibility, or because he and Anne had their own path to follow? Christopher stopped walking. He needed to find out exactly what George and Anne planned to do to the king
and
the kingdom.

At the very worst, he might have to ingratiate himself with his uncle again. He grimaced at the thought. The only other way to discover the plan was to convince one of the Boleyns that he was completely on their side.

He continued down the path. After his latest confrontation with George, he wasn’t even sure it was possible, but perhaps he had planted the seeds. If George could be convinced that Christopher was more concerned about saving his own skin than about Rosalind or the Ellis family, perhaps he would reveal his true purpose.

Rosalind had suggested that he play both sides. He wondered how she would feel if he decided to take her at her word and confide in Anne. Christopher found himself smiling. Despite her outward lack of interest, he knew Rosalind wouldn’t take kindly to him getting too close to any woman but her.

Ahead of him, George slowed down and veered away from the palace toward the archery court, where a group of Lady Anne’s women had gathered. Christopher decided to follow. It would be a good excuse to seek out Rosalind and set her on her guard. Not that they’d parted on particularly good terms, but he was certain she would have forgiven him by now.

He reached the first group of women and spied Anne dressed in dark brown velvet and gold at the center. Elias Warner stood at her elbow and she was laughing up at George, who was whispering intently in her ear. Her gaze shifted to Christopher and her smile brightened.

“Ah, Kit! You are just in time to watch me take on your betrothed in an archery contest. We are the last two remaining archers. You will lay a wager on my winning, I hope.”

Even as his heart sank, Christopher retained enough sense to bow. “You put me in a quandary, my lady. How could I choose between my two favorite women?”

Behind him, he heard a snort. He turned to find Rosalind dressed in a vibrant red gown and black hood. The rubies in the gold cross at her throat caught the sun like drops of blood. He swept her another bow. “My lady.”

She ignored him and tended to her crossbow, testing the tautness of the hemp string with her gloved finger. A quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder made her look like a ferocious Amazon queen. Christopher had never seen her shoot before, but he suspected she was more than competent. Which was unfortunate, because he knew Anne considered herself an excellent shot.

He turned his back on Anne and leaned closer to Rosalind. “Did you plan this?”

She gave him an exasperated glance. “Of course not. I tried to withdraw gracefully and cede the victory to her, but she challenged me in front of everyone.”

“Then take care.”

“I intend to.” She looked at him directly for the first time. “Will you wager on me or her?”

He smiled into her brown eyes. “You, of course. It would be unseemly to wager against my betrothed. But would you be interested in a private little side bet if you lose?”

Rosalind raised her eyebrows. “You expect me to forfeit something to
you
if I lose?”

He brought her gloved hand to his lips. “I expect nothing—and hope for everything.”

“And what exactly is it you want from me?”

“If you lose?” He bit slowly down on her leather-encased thumb. “You, in my bed, naked and willing.”

She smiled up at him. “Alas for you, I shall win.”

“Of course, my love. Everyone knows that the Welsh are the best archers in the kingdom.”

Rosalind released her hand from Christopher’s firm grip and turned away. She pretended to test her bow and willed herself to stop blushing. When he looked at her like that, it was almost impossible to deny her attraction to him. His voice alone seemed designed to turn her into a quivering pool of mindless need.

“Are you ready, Lady Rosalind?” Anne Boleyn’s imperious tones cut through Rosalind’s bemusement.

“Yes, my lady.” Rosalind turned her attention to the two large straw targets that were situated about a quarter of a furlong from where they stood. She made her way through the watching courtiers and retrieved an arrow from her quiver. Just seeing the arrow helped steady her nerves. Rhys had made it for her from supple ash wood and it was topped with soft gray feathered fletches. Christopher moved up alongside her, his keen gaze fixed on the target.

“The wind is blowing from the northeast.”

“I know,” Rosalind answered as she planted her feet on the line. She waited as Anne received a kiss from her brother and then a succession of well wishes from the courtiers. Rosalind knew from the snide glances cast her way that she wouldn’t be popular if she won. Verily, many of those around them would expect her to deliberately lose. But she wasn’t prepared to bow down to anyone, particularly a Vampire.

“Kit, dearest? Do you not wish to stand by me?” Anne asked.

Rosalind bit down on her lower lip to resist the urge to swing her bow around toward the other woman. Beside her, Christopher started to fidget.

“If you go to her, you will never see me naked in this lifetime again,” Rosalind hissed.

He went still. “I’m well placed here, Lady Anne. I can see both of you remarkably well.”

“Coward,” Rosalind murmured.

“You told me to ingratiate myself with her,” Christopher whispered back.

Rosalind chose to ignore him, and focused her energy on the target and imagined it was Anne’s smiling face. She fitted her arrow into the notch of her bowstring and raised the bow to her cheek.

“Best of three, Lady Rosalind.”

“Indeed, my lady.”

Rosalind sighted on the target and took a deep breath. She waited for the command to shoot and then released the arrow, just avoiding the recoil of the taut string against her skin.

Two men advanced on the targets and the one on Rosalind’s side held up his hand. There was a polite murmur from the watchers and some desultory clapping. Lady Anne swung around toward Rosalind. She was no longer smiling and her dark eyes glittered like burning coal.

“Well-done, Lady Rosalind. The wind appears to be in your favor.”

Rosalind didn’t bother to reply to such a blatant mistruth. She kept her attention on picking out another arrow and waiting for the steward to ready them for the next shot. Lady Anne resumed her place and everyone fell quiet.

The steward raised his arm, and Rosalind increased the tension of her bowstring. Just as she shot her arrow, Christopher nudged her elbow. Lady Anne clapped in delight as she was declared the winner of that round. Rosalind glared at Christopher. “What did you do that for?”

He looked down at her. “So that you don’t make her look like a complete fool. Her pride will not stand for that.”

“And what about
my
pride?”

He chuckled. “My lady, you will easily win the next round. You are far superior to Lady Anne at this sport.”

Rosalind wanted to smile back at him, but both George and Elias were watching them closely. It would not do for anyone to think she and Christopher actually
liked
being betrothed to each other. Not that she liked him very much sometimes. They needed to maintain an air of frustration at their situation that made them seem like enemies.

The steward cleared his throat and Rosalind turned back toward the target. The fine hairs at the back of her neck stood on end and she shivered as the breeze picked up considerably. If she didn’t know any better, she would think it was unnatural. She narrowed her eyes and focused all her senses on winning. A little speck of Vampire magic was not going to affect her victory.

“Do you feel that?” Christopher whispered.

“Yes, now let me concentrate.” She sighted on the target and let loose her arrow, watched it penetrate the very center of the red circle. She frowned as she heard Lady Anne’s whoop of victory. Rosalind waited as the two men compared the relative positions of the arrows and then called for the king’s steward to come forward and decide who had won.

Lady Anne tossed her bow to Elias and went off toward the targets, her arm linked through her brother’s. Rosalind followed more slowly, aware of Christopher at her side, his gaze sweeping the other courtiers, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

The steward was frowning at the two targets, which had been brought together to compare more closely. It seemed obvious to Rosalind that she had won, but no one else seemed to see it. The steward bowed to Lady Anne.

“You are the winner, my lady.”

Anne smirked and cast a sidelong look at Rosalind. “Oh, dear, am I really?”

Rosalind curtsied. “If you insist, my lady.” She held Anne Boleyn’s gaze for as long as she could, aware of the cold, dead magic encircling their small group, and of the dazed look in the steward’s eyes.

“Are you suggesting I
cheated
, Lady Rosalind?”

“Of course not.” Rosalind shot a warning glance up at Christopher, who looked ready to explode in her defense. “You are obviously more skillful than I am in exploiting your advantages.”

Anne stepped closer until there was no space left between her and Rosalind. She smiled to reveal the tips of her fangs. “That is true. I suggest you don’t forget it.”

“Oh, I won’t, my lady. I’ll just make sure I’m better prepared next time.”

“I wish you luck.” Anne’s avaricious gaze roved over Rosalind. “Now what should I take as my forfeit? That beautiful gold and ruby ring I’ve seen you wearing?”

“That ring was a gift from me, Lady Anne,” Christopher said softly.

Anne laughed. “Then I’ll not take your property, Kit. It would hardly be fair.”

Christopher shrugged. “Lady Rosalind must make that decision. The ring is hers now.”

Rosalind smiled sweetly at Christopher. “And I’m
so
glad to wear it. As women get older, we sometimes can become quite desperate for the joys of a husband and a family, can’t we, Lady Anne?”

Anne’s eyes flashed and she raised her hand. Rosalind held out the cross she wore around her neck between her finger and thumb. “If you like rubies, my lady, how about this?”

Anne licked her lips. “No, I thank you.”

Rosalind leaned in to her, the cross almost touching Anne’s nose. “Are you sure, my lady? It has been blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury himself.”

The magic around them wavered and died as Anne recoiled. “I’ll think of something else, Lady Rosalind. Never doubt it.”

“I’m sure you will, my lady.” Rosalind curtsied.

Anne threw one last scathing glance at Rosalind before storming back toward the palace, proclaiming her victory to the other courtiers as she went. Rosalind let out her breath and turned to Christopher, who was still eyeing the two targets.